005 : Der Eid ("The Oath")
The Oath refers to what has commonly been called "The Oath of the Abyss." Traditionally undertaken by magickal adepts in their aspiration to cross from "Magister" to "Magus," We have adapted the Oath into a supreme declaration of, and commitment to, one's highest spiritual attainment, the Throne of Our Gods, and Das Ewige Reich, above all, beyond all, and for all time and eternity.
Der Eid is not to be taken lightly nor entered hastily. Regardless how mature we are as human beings spiritually, emotionally, or intellectually; regardless how much wisdom we have garnered in our years or what our stature is amongst the Folk, nobody who takes the Oath remains untouched by the experience. And often that touch can be a hammer that shatters everything we thought solid and secure in our lives and about ourselves.
At a certain juncture in our ascension, however, this saying becomes true: "The only way forward is madness, death, or The Oath." At a certain point in our spiritual development and ongoing evolution, the Oath ceases to be a spooky curiosity and becomes a pressing urgency. It stops feeling "optional" or "someday" and starts sounding the alarm of its mandate. When that time comes for each of us, we would be wise, and do well, to pay heed.
As dire a forewarning as this may sound, the Oath is not an End, but a Beginning. For those who survive it, it heralds entry into everything we might have ever wanted, but no longer need.
Der Eid is formally administered in the presence of at least one additional witness (in addition to the Officiary) who has either already taken it or is taking it at that same time. It must be administered by someone grounded in the experience of living under The Oath, who has previously taken it and upon whom it has taken hold. Der Eid is sealed with a signature in blood (or in ink, accompanied by a drop of blood). The Oath must be entirely voluntary on the part of the one taking it, and sought proactively.
An excellent line-by-line guide to the Oath and its implications, The Oath of the Abyss and the Way Forward, is available through Purple Mountain Pressings.